Identifying Factors for Low-Risk Participation in Alternative Cardiac Rehabilitation Models for Patients with...

Although a recent joint society scientific statement (the American Association of Cardiovascular Pulmonary Rehabilitation, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Cardiology) suggests home-based cardiac rehab (CR) is appropriate for low- and moderate-risk patients, there are no paradigms to define such individuals with coronary heart disease.

We reviewed a decade of data from all patients with coronary heart disease enrolled in a single CR center (University of Michigan) to identify the prevalence of low-risk factors, which may inform on consideration for participation in alternative models of CR. Low-risk factors included not having any of the following: metabolic syndrome, presence of implantable cardioverter defibrillator or permanent pacemaker, active smoking, prior stroke, congestive heart failure, obesity, advanced renal disease, poor exercise capacity, peripheral arterial disease, angina, or clinical depression (MI'S SCOREPAD). We report on the proportion of participants with these risk factors and the proportion with all of these low-risk factors.

The mean age of CR participants (n = 1984) was 63 years; 25% were women, and 82% were non-Hispanic White. The mean number of low-risk factors was 8.5, which was similar in the 2011-2012 and 2018-2019 cohorts (8.5 vs. 8.3, respectively, P = 0.08). Additionally, 9.3% of the 2011-2012 cohort and 7.6% of the 2018-2019 cohort had all 11 of the low-risk factors.

In this observational study, we provide a first paradigm of identifying factors among coronary heart disease patients that may be considered low-risk and likely high-gain for participation in alternative models of CR. Further work is needed to track clinical outcomes in patients with these factors to determine thresholds for enrolling participants in alternative forms of CR.